Preparing to Travel Abroad

Know before you go.

This page gives a brief introduction to some of the major topics you should explore - or research exhaustively! - before you go abroad.

Be sure to visit our user-generated archive of Travel Resources to find more tips and contribute your own.

Ethics

'Who says these people need your 'help,' anyway?'

'Aren't you just taking away local jobs?'

'Isn't volunteering unsustainable?'

Let's not shy away from these questions! If you haven't yet thought about them, now is a good time to start. Here are some resources to get you thinking:

Do Volunteer Programs Do More Harm Than Good? A great podcast-- no reading required!
PEPY's 'Tips for a Responsible Traveler' and 'Guidelines for Learning Service'
"Don't be like this guy" - a reflection on the ethics and economics of international volunteering, including plenty of links for further reading and listening
Two Huffington Post articles about the ethics of volunteering abroad
Schooling the World - a stimulating film and website that challenges us to question conventional assumptions about schooling and 'development'
There You Go - a very short and accessible book highlighting the pitfalls of some 'development' models

General Advice

Tips from the US State Department
TP and New Underwear: Travel Tips
'Don't Be Scared of People'...and other hot tips!
'Volunteering in Cambodia: Read before packing!' A fantastic resource that contains many widely-applicable insights as well as lots of content specific to Cambodia. Lots more area-specific resources can be found in our archive.

Sharing Stories

One of the best ways to help our Partners is to share stories about your experiences with them. Learn how.

Criminal Background Checks

We encourage our Partners to ask volunteers evidence of a clean criminal record. Learn how to provide yours.

More Resources

Are you wondering about cheap flights, health insurance, book recommendations, and more? Head over to the Travel Resources archive for lots of valuable tips!